Yale New Haven Children's Hospital set to open Norwalk pediatric specialty center

By LESLIE LAKEHour Staff Writer

Published
6:15 pm EDT, Monday, June 25, 2012

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Yale New Haven Children's Hospital set to open Norwalk pediatric specialty center

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NORWALK -- The sign is up and the Yale New Haven Children's Hospital (YNHCH) Pediatric Specialty Center is set to open in Norwalk. The 11,000-square-foot referral center is scheduled to open July 2, and will offer specialized pediatric care in 12 disciplines as well as pediatric radiology and blood drawing services.

"Our goal is to make specialized services more accessible for families, pediatricians, and obstetricians in Fairfield County," said Cynthia Sparer, executive director of Yale New Haven Children's Hospital. "We started talking about this a year ago and with the support of our real estate people we found a wonderful space in Norwalk."

The speciality center has been set up at the Belden Avenue site of the former Virgin Atlantic headquarters, and will offer patients the opportunity to see board-certified specialists for evaluation and follow-up care in the areas of adolescent medicine, cardiology, craniofacial, endocrinology, gastronenteroly, hematology, neurology, neurosurgery, ophthalmology, orthopedics, surgery, and urology.

"This is not a primary care center. We will be working with local pediatricians and obstetricians on a referral basis," said Sparer.

The center will offer strictly out-patient services.

"It's typically a small percentage of pediatric patients who need the services of a full hospital," said Sparer. "Having a local center will keep families from having to travel to see specialists."

Radiologic services will include diagnostic services such as: Xray, ultrasound, and fluoroscopy.

"The overwhelming amount of necessary diagnostic services can be provided at the Norwalk center," said Sparer.

The Norwalk center will be staffed with specialists dedicated to the center.

"For example Yale has 19 pediatric cardiologists. Two of them will be on staff in Norwalk," said Sparer. "This will give them the opportunity to get to know doctors in the area as well as getting to know the patients."

For the fifth consecutive year, Yale-New Haven Children's Hospital has been included in the U.S. News & World Report Top 50 national rankings of pediatric services. Ranked best in the U.S. for seven of its pediatric subspecialties in the 2012-13 Best Children's Hospitals ranking. YNHCH ranked #3 in diabetes and endocrinology, , #18 in urology, #20 in pulmonology, #22 in gastroenterology, #41 in nephrology, #42 in orthopedics, and #47 in neonatology.

"This is Yale New Haven's fifth pediatric specialty center, and the first in Fairfield County," said Sparer.

The pediatric centers to date are: The center at the YNHCH, a pediatric oncology Center at the Smilow Cancer Center in New Haven, Guilford and Long Wharf.

Quickly becoming part of the fabric of the Norwalk community, Sparer said that Yale is in discussion with development of partnerships with Norwalk Hospital, as well as undertaking an active partnership with The Stepping Stones Museum for Children (SSMC) in Norwalk.

"We do have an active conversation under way with the chief of pediatrics at Norwalk Hospital to identify areas in which we will work together," said Sperer. "This is in the active planning process and we look forward to finalizing those plans."

Yale has partnered with Stepping Stones Museum and the museum has designed a digitally projected interactive wall in the new center.

"We are incredibly impressed with the museum. The interactive wall at the center uses the Museum's trademark characters. Children can use it to do things such as playing virtual basketball and catching stars." said Sparer. "It's the perfect diversion for patients and their siblings. We're going to have them develop a wall for our center in Long Wharf."

At a ribbon-cutting ceremony on June 19, Norwalk community leaders and elected officials, including Mayor Richard A Moccia, joined YNHH leaders, donors and staff to celebrate the opening of the facility.

"We have been working hard to make Yale-New Haven a destination hospital, and pediatrics is a cornerstone of this effort," said Richard D'Aquila, president and chief operating officer. "We are very excited to expand access to our nationally recognized Children's Hospital to increasing number of families in Fairfield County and the region."